Sliding side jaw wrench having toggle means for moving and locking the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw



Oct. 3, 1950 2,524,376

ED J

M.A.CLARK i SLID SIDE JAW WRENCH HAVING TOGGLE MEANS FOR MOVING AND 0 KING THE MOVAB TIVE TO THE FIX AW LE JAW RELA Filed Oct. 12, 1946 NVENT'OR Marion Cla r/b BY. wubrwul,

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3,, 1950 SLIDING SIDE JAW WRENCH HAVING TOGGLE MEANS FOR MOVING AND LOCKING THE MOVABLE JAW RELA- TIVE TO THE JAW Marion A. Clark, Tulare, :Calif. AppIication October 12,1946, Serial No. 703,038

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to an improved hand tool, and in particular is directed to a novel locking wrench.

One object of the invention is to provide, in a wrench having relatively adjustable jaws and initial adjusting mechanism therefor, a locking device operative to releasably clamp the work betweenthe jaws and simultaneouslysecure the adjusting mechanism against change of position.

A further object of the invention is to embody the same in a crescentfitype wrench wherein the initial adjusting mechanism includes a rack on the movable jaw and a Worm wheel turnably mounted in the handle, said locking device functioning to urge the worm Wheel axially in the direction of closing movement of said jaw whereby to releasably clamp the work in the wrench and set up high resistance to turning of said worm wheel.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of the wrench in locked position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the wrench unlocked.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the invention is here shown as embodied in a wrench of the crescent type, which includes a longitudinal handle I having a fixed jaw 2 at its forward end cooperating with a movable jaw 3. The movable jaw 3 is slidably guided, as at 4, for movement relative to the fixed jaw 2, while maintaining the working faces of said jaws substantially parallel.

The cooperating or working faces of the jaws 2 and 3 are formed, intermediate their ends, with serrated portions 5 for engagement with a nut or the like. Outwardly of the serrated portions 5 the working faces of the jaws 2 and 3 are fiat, as at 6, for wire twisting engagement or the like. Inwardly of the serrated portions 5 the jaws are formed with cooperating side cutter blades 1.

At its inner end the movable jaw 3 is formed with a straight rack 8 disposed parallel to the direction of guided movement of said movable jaw, and a worm wheel 9, suitably recessed in the forward end of the handle I, cooperates with the rack 8. The worm wheel 9 is accessible for hand engagement from either side of the wrench, and rotation of said worm wheel causes adjustment of the movable jaw 3 in the manner common to crescent type wrenches.

The present invention contemplates the mounting of the worm wheel 9 on a spindle I 0 disposed rearwardly of but parallel to the rack 8; said spindle being longitudinally slidably mounted, adjacent one end thereof, in theforward end portion of the handle I, as at I I.

Adjacent its outer end the spindle III is formed with a head I2 adapted to bear against the outer end of the worm wheel 9; the outer end of said spindle being rounded as at l3.

The worm wheel 9 is maintained in bearing engagement with the head I2 by a compression spring I4 surrounding the spindle I0 between the inner end of said worm wheel 9 and the handle, as clearly shown.

The handle I is longitudinally recessed, as at I5, and a longitudinal hand lever I6 is disposed with its forward portion in the recess I5. At its forward end, and within the recess I5, the hand lever I6 is formed with a curved finger Il' pivoted at its outer end, as at I8, to one end of a bellcrank lever I9 pivoted, as at 20, for swinging motion; the opposite end of said bellcrank lever I9 hearing against the end I3 of the spindle I9 adjacent the head I2. At the juncture of the curved finger I! with the main portion of the hand lever N3, the latter is pivoted, as at 2|, to a short link 22, which in turn is pivoted in the recess I 5, as at 23, for swinging motion. The position of the pivots I8 and AI relative to the pivot 23 is such that when the hand lever I 6 is in its closed position, as in Fig. l, the link 22 has swung beyond a dead center position. When this occurs the bellcrank lever I9 is swung to and locked in a position positively urging the spindle I9 and worm wheel 9 axially in a direction against the spring I4. When the worm wheel 9 is urged axially in such direction it urges the movable jaw 3 toward the fixed jaw 2, effectively but releasably clamping the work 24 between said jaws. The initial adjustment of such jaws is of course accomplished with the hand lever I6 in its open position, as in Fig. 2, and by means of rotation of the Worm wheel 9.

Additionally, when the wrench is in its locked position, the high resistance set up between the Worm wheel 9 and the rack 8 prevents any unloosening of said parts, and the wrench remains in its position of initial adjustment.

To release the wrench from its locked position,

as in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to swing the hand lever l6 laterally outwardly, which can be accomplished by the fingers of the same hand which manipulates the wrench. When the hand lever I6 is thus moved outwardly the described linkage and lever assembly releases the pressure on the spindle Iii, permitting the spring M to back the worm gear 9 away from its high resistance engagement with the rack 8.

It should also be noted that when the wrench is unlocked the spring l4, acting on the worm wheel 9, and through the medium of the rack 8, tends to back the movable jaw away from the work, for easy detachment of the wrench from said work.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

.Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

In a crescent type wrench having a longitudinal handle, fixed and movable jaws, means to adjust the movable jaw laterally including a worm and spindle on which the Worm is mounted movable laterally in a direction parallel to the movement of the movable jaw, the handle having a longitudinal recess in one side into which the outer end of the spindle projects; means to advance the spindle and worm in a jaw closing direction and to lock the spindle against retraction comprising a bell crank pivoted in said recess and extending generally lengthwise thereof in position to engage at its upper end against the outer end of the spindle, a hand lever pivoted at its upper end to the lower end of the bell crank and extending generally within and lengthwise of the recess, and a toggle link within the recess pivoted at one end to the hand lever below the pivotal connection of said lever with the bell crank and at the other end to the handle at such a point between the connection of the link with the hand lever and the connection of the latter with the bell crank that when the lever is moved from a position laterally out from the handle to a position mainly enclosed within the recess, the bell crank will be moved to force the spindle in a jaw closing direction and the pivot point of the link with the handle lever will move past a dead center line drawn through the pivotal points of the handle lever with the bell crank and of the link with the handle, to lock said bell crank against retraction; the hand lever being ofiset laterally between its pivotal connections to clear the pivot of the link with the handle.

MARION A. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,490,903 Anderson Apr. 22, 1924; 1,503,662 Norton Aug. 5, 1924 1,506,362 Carman Aug. 26, 1924 2,112,192 Geddes Mar. 22, 1938 2,327,368 Olson Aug. 24, 1%3 

